Yahooligans! sites are "hand-selected" or approved and most sites requesting a listing in this search engine are denied if they don't have anything inherently relevant to kids.

Kids can browse through the list of sites or search by a topical keyword. Parents will be happy to know that kids can't search for obscenities and there are no "adult only" sites in this listing (unlike Yahoo! or most other search engines). This is the page I have setup as the starting page for my kids. From here, they can find just about anything they want, without encountering things that I don't want for them.

The largest listing of pre-censored sites on the Internet is  Microsystems Software's Route 6-16. While it is definitely not as well organized at Yahooligans!, these sites are even less likely to offend. Each site goes through a rigorous screening process and, according to Microsystems Software, "all non-government sites are re-visited at least every 60 days to re-validate that, in our opinion, the content is appropriate for kids from 6 to 16."

A great place for kids to read or write is KidPub. KidPub has more than 11,000 stories written by kids from "all over the planet," to read. Additionally, kids can write their own stories or poems and submit them to be published online for free.

Also in KidPub, if you want a KeyPal (similar to a penpal, but you e-mail them instead) , search for one by country or state, gender, age or interest.  With over 5000 global KeyPals, your kids can probably find one that shares their interests and views.

For online interactive games, try MacroMedia's ShockZone Gallery Guide. You can choose from categories including games, movies, family and more. Some games are a bit violent (except in the family section), so be aware of what your getting into. There are thousands items listed here, each providing plenty of live fun online.

Perhaps the very best kids' site online (with actual content, rather than just links to other sites) is KidsCom. Calling itself "An educational and entertaining electronic playground for kids ages 4 - 15," this site lives up to its claims.  There is everything from a graffiti wall to games and crafts. You can even earn actual prizes (including CD-ROM educational games) by answering questions and playing online games.

Finally, to keep children from wandering into inappropriate sites, you need to get censorware or Internet-filtering software. The censorware I use and recommend to all concerned parents is Microsystems Software's Cyber Patrol.

Cyber Patrol lets parents determine the content that is screened from children. You can select levels of allowed violence, drugs, sex and much more. From your selections, all sites that meet your blocking criteria are then blocked and a simple message stating that the site has been blocked by Cyber Patrol appears instead of the actual Web page.

You can also block newsgroups (called USENET), chat (called IRC) or even programs installed on your computer from running. Additionally, you can set levels for up to nine different children but still allow the "Deputy" override to give you access when you want to surf the Web.

If you want your kids to have some good clean fun on the World Wide Web, try the sites listed and make sure you have a good Internet-filtering software.